Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG to have 500 horsepower?

Yes, that's what I said a few months ago. We are NOT going to have 600hp BMW M5s and 650hp Audi RS6s terrorizing our roads (unless I'm driving one of them, of course)! That would scare all the Porsche 911 and Ferrari F430 drivers.

And then, after that, to differentiate the S65 from the E63, we'd see an 800hp S-Class. Madness.

On the high-performance variants of their cars, these brands should use the latest weight-saving technologies to shed 200-500lbs compared to their conventional counterparts. This way, they would not have to increase power dramatically (20hp, maybe- 50 at most), it would improve handling capabilities, save gas, and best of all, improve acceleration and top speed. Better aerodynamics would also help that last one.

There's not a doubt in my mind that this would happen. Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz aren't stupid enough to put 700hp midsize sedans on the road that noone would buy.

And I thought my 344hp S4 was fast when I bought it two years ago! Now it's just "adequate."

500hp WOW !!!!
End Sarcasm

I think MB has shown with Previous Gen CL/SL and S 65s that All the Hp and Tourque in the world is meaningless unless you have a good way to transfer all that power to the Road Surface.

So 6.2L/500hp + RWD = Nose Heavy, Rear Wheel Shredding, Traction Control Always Interfering Performance.

The CL/SL/S 65s all had one thing in common:
*Blistering Performance on Very Straight/Smooth/Dry Roads.
* Any bends or curves or imperfections caused the Traction Control (Which you could never turn Fully-Off) to Take Over and Reign in the Engine.

Ill take the RS4 with "AWD" or the M3 with "As close to perfect Balance & Glorious Handling as you are gonna get in a sedan" Character over a 500hp RWD Small Sedan from MB.

Anyway my Opinion is that it will be well Shy of 500hp
MB need to have a bit of distance between the HP ratings of its Models even though they share the same engine displacements.
S/CL/SL/ML/GL same HP Levels
E/CLS & R Same HP Levels
C/CLK/SLK Same HP Levels

Same rules for AMG models

IMHO

You're forgetting that the new C class has a different suspension setup, much improved, over the older one. I am willing to bet that the chassis can handle this power. Plus, the torque levels will probably still be within reasons and thus controllable. This car should be extremely serious competition for the other Germans and the IS-F.

Actually I expected them to do that...I mean making it way ahead of the competition in hp but... there is one problem. If it has 500hp that means it will beat the CLS,E,CL,SL AMGs. So i expect it to have about 450+hp.

IMO it will not have 500 hp, because the CLK 63 AMG has 480, so my bet is it will have nothing more than 480 hp, more like 450 hp; and since the C350 weighs around 1680 kg, one could imagine the C63 AMG will at least weigh 100 more, so that kind'a kills the power advantage...

Well, how would taking away 50hp from this 500hp number save the weight problem?

500 hp, not likely. it would intrude into E63 and CLS63 territory. im predicting 420-460 which would leave room for any m3-csl fighter.

It’s nice to see HP rating going up but I drought it will actually translate to the road. Making larger engines with more hp does not make the car all that better. That is why I always prefer the RS or M or 911. They put tremendous effort in making sure you get exactly what you pay for. I bet the new MB C AMG will be much more $$$ and harder on the wallet without nearly as luxurious as the S or E. Personally, the engine is to big for its class.

--- mistake, change "drought" with "doubt"

I agree. AMG is more about straight-line speed, but don't offer much in terms of handling... perhaps this C will change my view on it. However, M, RS and (obviously) Porsche over a much purer driving experience. Even if this new C63 AMG comes with its own moon, I wouldn't be surprised to see all the magazines rating the new M3 and RS4 higher. There IS still the chance that AMG will make this car handle beautifully, though.

I agree with those who say 500hp in the c63 is not likely. That much power would make it faster than the more expensive e63 and clk63, which seems counterintuitive. I would rather they keep the hp at about 400-450 and then focus on the handling so that it can be competitive with the M3. Interestingly, the e63 beat the M5 and the S6 in a caranddriver's February comparison article. They even said that the e63 had "astounding agility." Forget 500hp, I want to see a c63 with "astounding agility."

The S6, E63 and M5 have popped up in different positions in every comparison test. In the one you mentioned, the S6 was in second and the M5 lost; in another, the M5 won and the E63 lost, and in yet another, the S6 won and the M5 was once again in last place.

I think that just goes to show that peoples' perception of a great driving machine change amongst drivers. That's why the variety presented by all of these cars is so wonderful. The C63 should be devilishly fast and nimble.

Whether or not they go for 500hp in the C-Class you know that once again MB will be uping the ante on the engines again in about two years. So if they give teh C63 500 hp all others will be upgraded to 520-550hp.
T

I'd like to have 500 hp also but in the form of the new Audi Q7 V12 turbodiesel.

500hp, i dont think so, that would just destroy the rest of their AMG classes.

yes....we all knew this was coming.
the 6.3 in some version is going into nearly every AMG.

and, yes, it will lead its class in terms of sheer power and speed.

this particular v-8 by benz is capable of a lot more than 500hp, as shown in the other mb models which utilize the same engine.

the question is what will mb set the hp at for c-class.

Too much power for a chick car. Won't sell well. I owned an E55 AMG, but I woke up and smelled the coffee brewing in BMW M-land and realized how much more fun a well designs suspension is to drive once you get bored with a slushbox transmission & lots of power.

Enthusiasts won't pay this much for this much horsepower if they can't get it sideways and shift their own gears.

This will be another drag-racer with a slushbox.

You're full of crap.

The M5 with 500 hp comes with a manual transmission (an option). Same for the the Viper SRT10, Covette Z06, Ford GT, 911 Turbo, Carrera GT, Mustang Cobra SVT, the list goes on. Any by the way, none of the above even have an automatic as an option.

"Proper launch", or lack thereof, is not the reason why a manual is a desirable feature.

Enthusiasts enjoy shifting when and how they want to. A slushbox torque converter automatic sucks the life out of shifting.

Mercedes doesn't put manual gearboxes in these cars because most of the people who buy them are women or men who aren't enthusiasts that enjoy this kind of driver interaction.

I used to be that way; I enjoyed my E55 back then. Then I graduated to an M5 and I'll never go back unless Mercedes can offer something with a manual.

The only reason that the M5 comes with a manual this day in age is because "enthusiasts" such as yourself cried about not having one. Recent magazine tests have shown the manual/V-10 combo to be less effective and not as dynamic as that with an SMG. DSG, SMG, and super fast automatics are the future. You can see it happening in Ferrari, Mercedes, Audi/Lambo/Bugatti, BMW etc... Old fashioned cars (mustang, Corvette, 911) are all that are left and I would put money on Porsche heading towards an auto replacement with a DSG in the near future. "Enthusiasts" are going to have to learn to assimilate or there wont be anything left for you guys to drive. I like rowing my own boat too but it's just not as fast or easy as sequential gear changes.

Yup, you're full of crap.

I don't need to expalin to you that the BMW M5 is a better car than this, or do? Are you that arrogant?

Yes, enthusiasts like me enjoy a manual transmission as an OPTION., just like those in Porsche Carrera GT's, (450 thousand dollar car), Ford GTs (150 grand), Ferrari F430s, Lamborghini Murcielagos, Porsche 911s, etc.

Some of those cars come with a sequential manual gearbox, like the M5.

They all offer manual gearboxes because they're just too damn fun. They won't go away. They'll be an option. Maybe someday Mercedes will figure this out.

But NONE of those cars above come with slushboxes like these AMG chick cars...

What does a Toyota Camry have in common with this Mercedes? Slushbox, for starters.

You gotta be kidding me.... "What do Porsche's Ferrari's and Lamborghini's have in common with a Neon? A manual for starters" If AMG's are chick cars and autos are your sworn enemy, why did you supposedly own one? And you expect us to take your arguments seriously? How about you just call me a name....

As far as handling the torque, it can be done. There's been plenty of cars out there that have manual transmissions that handle more torque than that. Do I need to list them for you?

Ouch...burn.